Stored-value cards (also known as gift cards) allow consumers to make purchases anonymously at participating merchants. In a closed-loop stored-value card network, a pre-paid funds balance is stored locally on the stored-value card. In an open-loop stored-value card network, the pre-paid funds balance for each card is stored on a database remote from the merchant's point-of-sale terminals. When a stored-value card is presented to a merchant to effect payment for a transaction, software installed on the merchant's point-of-sale terminal reduces the pre-paid funds balance associated with the card by deducting all or a portion of the required payment from the balance, as stored on the card or in the remote database.
Although the pre-paid funds balance associated with a stored-value card can be replenished via a merchant's acquirer network, to maintain anonymity of the stored-value card user the stored-value card network is kept separate from the merchant's acquirer network. Therefore, the stored-value card network does not have any information that can be used to identify the stored-value card user. As a result, a stored-value card user cannot withdraw funds from a stored-value card account after those funds have been deposited with the stored-value card network.